Christmas IS Coming

Guest blogger: Elder David D. Ames

We weren’t waiting for a temple in Moses Lake.  I was waiting to retire so we could move somewhere to live near a temple – anywhere near a temple (ideally within walking distance); but we didn’t have to move.

April 7, 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it would build a temple right here – in Moses Lake, Washington. We were astonished - a dream come true! 

When we were first married, the nearest temple was about 600 miles (10-12 hours driving).  We began to plan, sold our home 10 miles (15 minutes) away, and the summer of 2022 moved within 3 blocks of the new temple as construction began.

Retired couples often serve 6–23 months as missionaries. We weren’t waiting to go on a mission.  

Linda and I agreed that serving in the temple, helping in our community, and other church callings would be our mission.  We began when the temple was dedicated September 10, 2023.

We were content. Content, until one day, in September 2025 (two years later) we were impressed that we should serve a formal mission. We went to the ‘serve a mission’ website and began the process:

Interview with the Bishop. 

Interview with the Stake President. 

Fill out questionnaires.

See the doctor for extensive physicals.

See doctor again - records DO state we are a bit over 50!  

Medical tests. Eye tests. Hearing tests.

More medical tests.

Blood tests.  More blood tests. 

Still more blood tests. And yes, just one more blood test.

Stress tests. Radioactive stress tests. 

(Did I morph into a super hero? You guess!) 

With the medical papers completed and on the Bishop’s desk, we waited, and waited. 

 Curious, I went into the ‘we want to be a missionary now’[1] website [2] and discovered that we had to push a SUBMIT button to say, “medical papers are on the Bishop’s desk.” 

There are stories about people putting in mission papers who are called the next day.  That did not happen with us.  We had to wait. With all the waiting I told my wife: “Christmas is coming.” My family used to say that when we had to wait.

7:03 a.m. Christmas morning a text said to check our email. Our call to the Utah, Salt Lake City, Headquarters Mission arrived.   We clicked the red ‘DO IMMEDIATELY’ link and began filling out forms.  There appeared to be just 2 or 3.

Each form seemed to generate a dozen more forms!  With the forms filled out, calls started coming from the mission asking for clarification to answers on the forms, giving instructions, making sure we had no questions...

So, what will we be doing? We will find out once we get there – after a week at the Mission Training Center, and then orientation week! 

Check back in a couple weeks ...

Elder David D. Ames

[1] Children’s Songbook page 168

[2] See ‘Mission Portal’ on the ‘Resource’ tab drop down menu at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng